Stay in the Boat
Three gospels tell the story of Jesus walking on water, but Matthew’s account is unique (14:22-33) because it adds something: Peter got out of the boat, started to walk to Jesus, began to sink, was saved by the Savior, and then got in the boat with him.
There is an interpretive history that makes Peter a hero for his attempts. The other eleven stayed in the boat; at least Peter got out. As John Ortberg wrote, If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat. It’s a wonderful book on faith, courage, and risk-taking.
I’m just not sure about using this text.
Here are some reasons:
1. Read carefully and you see that it wasn’t Jesus’ idea. He’s coming to his frightened disciples, out in the dark, enduring a storm in a Galilean fishing boat. Jesus doesn’t say, “If you have courage, come to me”; rather, he’s going to them.
2. This is the first of five stories that will focus on Peter. Those stories don’t tend to tilt in his favor! (Think: “Get behind me Satan!”)
3. Peter says, “Lord, if it’s really you . . . .” Later Jesus challenges his doubt. The interpretive tradition is that this refers to his sinking. But perhaps it refers to that original doubt: If it’s you! As Barbara Brown Taylor has written, Peter needed to take a couple steps to cure his doubt; then he needed a noseful of sea water to cure his pomposity!
4. The point of most of Jesus’ miracles wasn’t for the disciples to repeat the miracle but for them to recognize who he is and to respond to him. The goal of the water-to-wine story isn’t to produce lots of disciples who can repeat the sign; the goal is to recognize the one who did it, to believe in him, and to find life in his name. There’s no indication that the early church thought that water-walking was a sign of faith, courage, or discipleship.
The high point of the story is Jesus’ coming. It’s not about Peter; it’s not about US. He comes to them in their terror. And when he gets in the boat, they worship him.
One Messiah is enough. He can walk on water. He’s coming to you.
Having a tough period with the economic downturn? Facing challenges with your children, with your relationships, with aging, with depression?
“Surely I will be with you always, even to the end of the ages,” he says in the last words of Matthew’s gospel.
Stay in the boat. You don’t have to walk on water. He can. And he’s coming to you.
I like your last paragraph!
This morning, much like Sunday morning, your thoughts and teaching on Jesus in the Storm caused a catch in my throat bringing tears of thanksgiving to Him – in my distress all I need do is stay in the boat, wait for Him to come and then worship Him!
Bless you, Mike! You truly have heeded the leading of the Holy Spirit in shraing these thoughts!!
Thank-you. Thank-you. Thank-you. I just can’t stand so many of these books that take a passage totally out of context and leave you feeling that there is something wrong with your life because of something you are not doing. I experienced the damage done by a very inexperienced young minister who used this very book in what seemed to me to be a very destructive way. The Prayer of Jabez was another such book. Excellent comments.
Precious post, & I second Dee’s & Kathy’s comments.
Good words and all true. I’m just not sure this text is about “Jesus coming to them in their terror” either. In this particular storm story, it says nothing of their fear of the storm. They were simply “straining at the oars”. They became afraid when they saw Jesus walking on the water and thought He was a ghost.
I’m with you in that it’s about their unbelief from the beginning of the story, by asking, “Is it you?” and then asking Him to prove it. Jesus seems not too keen on people demanding that He prove himself time and time again to the same people.
Good reminder for us this morning. Thanks.
Great.
qb loves being reminded – and needs it, frequently – that stories he’s read a thousand times and thinks he’s got a handle on can be deceptively elusive to the comfortable, orthodox, self-sufficient eye. Willard was the first to penetrate that veneer with his exposition of the “discourse on the hill,” and it rocked qb’s world.
That’s another way of saying, I guess: qb never thought about it that way.
It also reminds me that I must always be willing to ask fresh questions of the text, even the “slam dunks.”
qb
Thanks, everyone.
Annie – I showed Patrick’s video in my class today. Very moving.
Brad – I meant the terror that’s explicitly mentioned as he approached them (v. 26) — as well as the terror that is implied by their circumstances (hinted at with the unexpected use of the Greek word basanizo in v. 24 – their boat was TORMENTED by the winds).
“Having a tough period with the economic downturn? Facing challenges with your children, with your relationships, with aging, with depression?”
“Stay in the boat. You don’t have to walk on water. He can. And he’s coming to you.”
I have depression what does stay in the boat mean? Sounds like some empty saying that sounds good but has no real “rubber meets the road” value.
Also I didn’t know I got out of the boat. Does having depression mean one gets out of the boat. How does one get out of the boat with depression?
Still a great post. Thanks.
Whad up, qb?
L -
The most profound thing I can say to people in perpetual pain — after suffering wave after wave of loss in my own life — is this: he is with us.
At times that feels dangerously close to being vacuous to me. I’d prefer healing over just presence.
And yet, at other times I see that his presence means everything. “I will never leave you or forsake you,” he promises. I can’t prove that. But it’s my experience. He has stayed with me through my grief, my pain, and my failures.
I’m not encouraging anyone to make this an extended metaphor for dealing with their issues.
But I think the focus isn’t on Peter’s risky courage; it is rather on Jesus.
Mike, thanks for digging deeper and not relying on the shallow and pat answers that are often given. The deeper I go the less I understand but the more at peace I am. Does that make sense?
Wow.
Just so nobody misunderstands. That “wow” was sincere. I know, at least from my experience, that the phrase can be offered in a sarcastic tone. Not here.
Mike, thanks a lot.
The point is well made by Mike. To label “getting out of the boat” metaphor as shallow makes no sense. As christians we are told to come to Jesus time and again. It’s understood that Christ is always with us but our hearts are not always with him. WE make a decision to follow Jesus.
Mike, I appreciate you reminding us that this passage is about Jesus and not Peter.
Thanks for your response.
Thanks Mike. This reminds me of one of my favorite passages in the Bible: “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
God has taken MY hand & helped me through some tough times, even before I reached out to grab HIS.
Great thoughts and very timely -challenges with your children- just what we needed to hear. Thank you.
We are suppose to get out of the box but stay in the boat. What if the boat is in the box?
But what if I don’t want to pay a lot for wine? Can’t I just get wine, darn good wine, from tha tap if I’m really REALLY faithful?
“If it is you Lord, ask me to come.” Quite interesting that Peter was trying to define the terms of their relationship. Maybe this was Peter’s way of tryng to be in control when he felt out of control. Possibly a point to ponder is that maybe I want to control the relationship I have with God – which I guess is sort of oxymoronic. “If it is you Lord, ask me to (fill in the blank).”
Encouraging to know that just cuz Peter took his eyes off of Jesus didn’t mean Jesus took his eyes off of Peter. Sometimes we are afraid when the Lord approaches us.
Mike Cope, You’re the best. Thanks.
I love this story, Mike. Thank you for reminding us that Jesus is the only one we should worship and the only one we seek to imitate.
Great thoughts on this familiar passage. I don’t remember hearing anyone take this slant on the event before, although it certainly fits. Thanks for sharing, and thanks for the encouragment!
But … but … I thought it was all about ME! Me, doing everything I’m supposed to do! Me, having faith enough to move a mountain! Me, being good steward of God’s gifts! Me, meeting Jesus halfway even if there’s howling wind around me and roiling waves below me!
Me, me, ME!
very nice advent meditation — waiting and anticipating the coming of Jesus.
Mike,
I agree with a lot of what you say about this passage, but honestly, I’m not sure that there’s enough in Biblical account to be dogmatic about the issue (i.e. whether or not Peter should be commended for getting out of the boat) one way or the other.
After all, it wasn’t Jesus’ idea, but He still told Peter to “Come.” Would it have been better for Peter to have disobeyed what Jesus told him?
These are great thoughts, Mike. Thanks.
I learn from this text that there is safety with Jesus, whether I’m in the boat or on the stormy sea. Since Peter was in a tormented boat, and Jesus was walking on the water, perhaps safety (security) was Peter’s goal. He learned a little more about trusting when he took his eyes off Jesus, but then felt the pull of his hand. All the disciples learned, in fact, because they did worship him.
I’m thinking that when I’m in a tormented boat, I can approach Jesus even if being where he is seems whacky. Whacky is OK, if I am secure. He might take me back to boat, but if he is there, I’ll be safe. I’ve just got to trust him.
This story helps me do that. And if he is worthy of my trust, he is also worthy of my worship. Your thoughts add to that.
Mike: Thank you for this thought. It comes at a very important time in my life – facing economic issues, health related difficulties and parenting issues. This has given me hope at a most difficult time. Thank you.
The most interesting part of the story to me is verse 22 which says “Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.”
Knowing the storm would come, He “made them” get in the boat. Does Jesus know every storm of life we will face? Absolutely He does. Is there a safer place to be than in the midst of a storm with the knowledge He knows we are there, and might have designed it just for you?
In the boat or out of it, safety is only found in Him.
Royce
Good food for thought, Mike! I have often shared the story of Peter walking on the water to Jesus in much the same light to which you were contrasting your point. I must say I found your conclusion rather jarring at first – “Stay in the boat.” But sometimes jarring is very good. Jesus had plenty of things to say that are jarring, to say the least. I’ll be thinking and reading back through this one for a while. Thanks.
Thank you for your words tonight. It was exactly the encouragement I needed – to be reminded of the personal interest the Lord takes in our fears, be them ever so small. Blessings.
Mike, I find the account of Jesus walking on the water in Mark the most fascinating, hilarious, and flat-out weird: “About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost…” (vv. 48-49). Jesus had previously seen they were struggling earlier–but no, those travails didn’t merit Jesus running over and helping. And it seems in this account that he’s NOT walking on the water at “the fourth watch” to go help the disciples then either; we can maybe infer he’s going SOMEWHERE ELSE or for some other purpose. Isn’t that strange? He was walking on the water, passing them by. What? Why?
Maybe, at our most brilliant and insightful, we still have no idea what Jesus was/is about. He’s the kind of guy who could be strolling on a lake, his purposes, thoughts, direction as foreign to us as if the account read “And Jesus flew to the moon to pray.” Or whatever.
Regardless, I’m delighted that Jesus is willing to stop and help me in my all-too-human struggles, even when he has bigger, better, and more mysterious things to do.
Peace,
Karen Cukrowski